Let it slide…

A FEW YEARS AGO, we were doing a photoshoot with a Ford Ranger that had just been built into a topend off-road adventure machine by one of the best known specialists in the country. The site we used was a pretty gnarly one but the truck was more than capable of getting about.

The ground was rough, though, and eventually the inevitable happened. While easing his way through, the truck’s owner dropped one of its wheels into a rut and as it fell in, its sill caught the lip with a glancing blow. Not the sort of impact that would stop it in its tracks – but enough to plant a fist sized dent right in the middle of it.

Not nice, and not a happy owner. But when you’ve got a vehicle with a long wheelbase, its sills are going to be more vulnerable than ever –to the extent that not fitting a set of rock sliders is an omission you struggle to comprehend.

We didn’t want that happening to our Isuzu D-Max GO2. So a set of sliders was definitely on the must-have list – which was fine by Isuzu UK when we were planning the build with them, because they had exactly that on their list of official accessories.

The sliders are a tubular design, with no box to be seen anywhere. They’re designed with three mounts each, which clamp to the chassis rails via heavy-duty plates made from steel channel, then up top they’re skinned off with chequer plate to provide a step that’s reasonably non-slip.

The sliders are fitted with no welding required, which says a lot for the strength their mounts need to have. In particular, as they go on it’s impossible not to notice the difference in the size and purpose of said mounts – which need to be able to take the whole weight of the vehicle as it comes down sharply on a rock or tree stump.

Thinking of taking your 4x4 off road? We recommend getting your vehicle insured by Adrian Flux, a specialist insurance broker for modified 4x4s. Given that they’re a specialist insurance broker, we’ve insured several of our project trucks with them for the simple reason that they understand the needs of modified 4x4 owners – plus off-roaders and green laners –better than other insurance companies. Give them a call on 0800 085 5000 for a quote.

Not that we were intending to do anything like that to it, of course. But then, neither was matey that time with his Ranger…

Above left: When you open the box and the first thing you see is these bits of thin ally, your first instinct might be to cringe. Not to worry, they’re only tread plates to go on top of the good stuff

Above centre: Unbolting the standard side steps is one of those jobs that sound easy but, if your vehicle is of a certain age, tend to be infuriating. This is one of the joys of starting with a nearly new one

Above right: Freed off and away she comes. Looking at the mounting arms will probably tell you a lot about why the standard steps aren’t any use when you sit them on rocks

Below left: Just imagine that sill with a nice big dent in it. For added effect, take out one of the doors too. Then add the sound of an owner crying. That’ll be why we’re doing this

Below centre: Original steps and heavy-duty replacements. It’s not just that the latter are made from thick steel tube – look at the contact area they’re going to have with the chassis when they’re bolted up and you can see why they’re not going to move in a hurry

Below right: It’s not all plain sailing as you instal the hardware for mounting the rock sliders. Next time you hear someone moaning about not having enough space to work in, show them this picture

Left: The slider is offered up and slowly manoeuvred into place, then the mounts can be loosely bolted up. There’s still more to be done at this point

Below, left to right: These shots give you an idea of the bracketry behind Isuzu’s rock sliders. This is some serious hardware designed to take the whole vehicle’s weight, even if it comes down hard on to a rock or tree stump

Above: The sliders are shipped with bungs in the ends of the main rails. These are removed for the inswept sections to be pushed into place to act as nerf bars

Below: Here’s another good illustration of what it takes to make the rock sliders stay where you want them. This is the mount approximately halfway along the length of the unit, which takes a less than subtle but brutally strong approach to staying tight. Note also the auxiliary bracket to prevent the mounts for the fuel lines, rear light cables and so on from suffering a conflict of space

Below: Now finally the bits of thin ally plate can go in place. With the D-Max running a 3” lift and 33” tyres, we’ve found that most passengers need to use the rock sliders as steps, so these grips are actually pretty much essential

We currently stock O.E. propshafts for many 4x4 models, but we are proud to have also spent time developing our own “Extreme” range. For the majority of 4x4 vehicles we can offer an upgraded propshaft option, whether you need greater angle, longer splines or larger torque capacity (which may give increased potential life-expectancy).

Why choose “Extreme?”

Wide Angle Operation - Double Cardan Joints - Heavy Duty Universal Joints Upgraded sliding assembly - Higher Torque Capacity - Heavy Duty Tubing www.baileymorris.co.uk

T:+44(0)1480 216250